We have to preface this story like this: Thank you to our Armed Forces, and especially the United States Marine Corps. Miguel, the owner of this sharp black E90 BMW M3, is a proud USMC Veteran – has just one thing to say about his service, “You’re welcome.”
No two words could be more appropriate. We’re proud to serve our veterans here at ModBargains/ModAuto, and we did want to take the opportunity to mention that we offer a discount to all active duty military service members. Moving on though,
Miguel’s been a long time customer of Sr Mod Expert Alan Wei, one of our BMW specialists, and it’s been my pleasure to see each change this Beastly Black super saloon has gone through. With so many mods done recently, it seemed each time we got ready to post, this car was back again for another change – so we figured the best way to present this car and everything it’s gone through is a step at a time.
To get the E9x M3 suspension sitting exactly how Miguel wanted it, Alan recommended a set of BC Racing Coilovers for BMW M3. One of the most affordable coilovers for the E9x, BC Racing Coilovers offer a lot of bang for the buck, offering 30 way adjustment and fine control over ride height and camber/caster for just ten Benjamins.
After you install a set of coilovers, about a week later, it’s a good practice to have your car aligned. Take a good look at those six spokes – they won’t be there long.
This E90 M3 was one of the first cars we got to align with our Beissbarth Alignment Rack at the ModAuto shop (the same kind of system used for aligning Porsche GT3 Cup Race cars. In case you were wondering, we offer 4-wheel alignments for$139, and we also offer corner balancing for coilover-equipped cars – click here to make an appointment)
From behind, the Megan Racing Exhaust for BMW E9X M3 really stands out, the bright polished surfaces tying in nicely to the polished wheels.
Personally speaking, about a decade ago when I was a part of the JDM Nissan Z scene was when I first heard of Megan, and I figured they’d be just another “a no name aftermarket parts company”, but they’ve stuck around and built up a decent reputation, so I’m pleased to report that they’ve really stepped up their game – seeing the quality of the products that they sell today has changed my mind about Megan Racing – the M3 exhaust system they offer, seen here, is a REALLY nice piece – and in case you were wondering, it sounds great too.
You’ll have to excuse us if it’s a bit dirty, this exhaust has been on the car for some time – but what impressed us is that the finish still looks great and the bends of the system look like they’re great for smooth exhaust gas flow.
We also liked that the Megan Racing Exhaust for E9X M3 was a cat-back setup, rather than just an axleback. This view also lets us get a glimpse of the BC Racing Coilovers for E9X M3 as they appear as a part of the suspension system as a whole.
Next to go were the 6-spoke wheels. Of course, we were curious why. Miguel grinned and told us that he had some really special wheels for the car, and man, he wasn’t kidding. We offer WORK Wheels here, but the wheels for E90 M3 that he had in mind are classic, long-out of production Work Equips.
As I mentioned earlier, I was heavily into the JDM scene about a decade ago, so seeing a set of these beauties is a real time warp for us. Spec’d at an impossibly wide 19×10 up front and a massive 19×12 out back, these gorgeous polished Work Equips have enough deep dish to give a Chicago Pizza Chef a heart attack. Seriously, these things are going to break some necks.
Here’s the view from behind. “DAT ASS” seems entirely appropriate. Of course, with a really aggressive fitment like this, the choice of tire is just as important. Given the style Miguel was going for and his aggressive fitment and setup, Alan set him up with the stretched tire fitment he was after, spec’ing the tires at 255/35-19 up front and 285/30-19 in the rear in stick Nitto Invo tires.
With the car back on the ground, now let’s get a closer look at that fitment.
After getting the car back on the ground, Sr Tech Dave does one final check to ensure all of the lugs are torqued to spec – it’s Dave’s attention to detail to ensure everything’s done right the first time and exactly to his high standards with each and every install he does that makes him such a superstar in the shop.
We had to scope out how it looked in the sun, so we pulled it out of the shop and into the light to let that polished metal shine.
WOW that is some stretch!
But the front end was missing something. It needed a little extra “spice” – and to give it that extra flair Miguel opted for an Arkym Carbon Fiber Front Lip Spoiler for BMW M3 [E9x]. The carbon fiber front lip spoiler rounds out the front end of the M3, complimenting the car’s lines perfectly to give it a “finished” look.
With the centercaps installed now and with the Arkym Front Lip installed to round out the E9X M3 Exterior, the car is looking more and more like a complete package.
At this point, we’ve told you what you want to know about this M3, so we’ll just shut up for a bit and let you appreciate how this beautiful car looks in the sun.
This E9X M3 is one of our favorite cars to see in the shop because Miguel and Alan always seem to have something new lined up, and we can’t wait to see what’s next, and it was great seeing it again last Saturday at our Bimmers n Breakfast BMW E9X meet at Mod Auto, giving us a glimpse of some of the sickest E9x’s from SoCal we’ll be seeing at Bimmerfest this year. (Check out Bimmerfest 2014 galleries here and here)
We look forward to seeing this car again in the future, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the photos as much as we have enjoyed taking them.
As you can see, even in a crowd of modded E9Xs, Miguel’s M3 really stands apart (check out the coverage on ModAuto here, the ModBargains gallery is coming later this week).
Interested in making your BMW look this slick? Talk to our Mod Experts like Alan, give us a call at 714-582-3330 (x8006 for Alan), chat live on ModBargains.com or just stop by the ModAuto showroom in La Habra, CA any day during business hours to see what we can do for your ride.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you this Saturday at Bimmerfest 2015!
Story & Photos Nick Gregson
Select Photos Bryan Munoz